seoul: In a significant move on this day in 1980, South Korea's media landscape was dramatically altered under the directive of the military junta led by Gen. Chun Doo-hwan. Following Chun's rise to power through a military coup the previous year, the nation's electronic and print media were compelled to undergo realignment and consolidation through enforced mergers. This directive resulted in a substantial reduction in the number of media organizations operating across the country. According to Yonhap News Agency, the following years witnessed several notable developments in South Korea. In 1984, the Dongjak Bridge, which became the 11th bridge over the Han River in Seoul, was opened to traffic. This infrastructure development was significant for the bustling capital city. A decade later, in 1994, Hyundai Motor Co. marked a technological milestone by developing the nation's first solar-powered car using indigenous technology. The early 2000s saw political and economic shifts. In 2006, Construction Minister Chu Byung-jik, along with two senior presidential secretaries, resigned, accepting responsibility for the failure of the Roh Moo-hyun government's real estate policy. This was followed by a major corporate acquisition in 2011 when SK Telecom Co. acquired Hynix Semiconductor Inc. by purchasing a 21.05 percent stake valued at 3.43 trillion won. In 2012, special prosecutor Lee Kwang-bum concluded a monthlong investigation into a controversial land deal related to President Lee Myung-bak's shelved retirement home project, deciding against indicting the president's son. The following years saw further strategic moves, such as South Korea tentatively signing an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan in 2016 to counter North Korean missile threats, despite strong local opposition. In 2017, a North Korean soldier made headlines by defecting to South Korea by driving to the truce village of Panmunjom.